Good afternoon,

As parents of KBK8 Center and residents of Key Biscayne, we would like to express our concern about the selection process for children entering 6th grade to M.A.S.T. Academy. We were astonished to discover on Saturday that most KBK8 Center students are on the waiting list, while only those with siblings already attending the school (excluding seniors) were accepted.

We understand that M.A.S.T. Academy has 150 available spots for military personnel, veterans, school system employees, and Key Biscayne residents. We were informed that 450 "residents" of the island applied. We would like to know who these applicants were, as KBK8 Center only has 152 students. We also understand that only 5 students from St. Agnes applied. We believe there is a numerical discrepancy and that, as a community, we deserve an explanation.

In each KBK8 Center classroom, we observed that only students with siblings and children of veterans were admitted, which sometimes accounts for only 20% of the class. Moreover, those who did not meet these conditions were simply not admitted. In effect, ALL students were placed on the waiting list. Statistically, it is unlikely that any of them would have been admitted through the lottery. This raises the following questions:

1. Was the eligibility criteria for Key Biscayne resident children unilaterally modified? We recall that there is a signed agreement with the city that established the number of spots for resident children in exchange for the city's donation to the school's construction. Any change to these conditions would not only be sudden and unilateral but also illegal. If there was a change, who, with the legitimacy to represent the city, made it?

2. We understand that as part of the student application process for the middle school Cambridge program, it is currently a requirement to proof residency in Key Biscayne to provide the tax form or lease agreement and a utility bill.

However, since numbers are not adding up, we would like to request a more rigorous proof of residency verification, to ensure that the number of seats offered to “real” Key Biscayne residents is provided.

Would it be possible to consider requesting additional proof of residency to ensure compliance with the current agreement, fairness and equity in the selection process?

Additionally, to ensure greater transparency in the admission process, we would like to request an audit of the student s admitted as 'residents' of Key Biscayne. This would allow us to verify that the residency criteria were applied fairly and consistently.

We need some clarification on the selection process itself. If it is indeed a lottery system, I believe it would be essential to provide parents with more transparency. Specifically:  * Could we be informed of our child's position on the waiting list? * How is the waiting list managed and prioritized? * What guarantees are in place to ensure that the waiting list is followed in the order that was initially established?  Simply being told that our children are on the waiting list without further explanation or context is not sufficient. As parents, we need more information to make informed decisions about our child's education and to plan accordingly. 

As island residents who pay annual property taxes, we deserve a detailed explanation of the selection process, in the interest of transparency and fairness.

Sincerely,

5th grade Parents KBCS